Poland ends Iraq military mission, pulls out last troops
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, Oct 28, IRNA
Germany-Poland-Iraq
Poland ended Tuesday its five-and-half-year military mission in Iraq by withdrawing its last troops from the Middle East country.
A plane, carrying around 100 soldiers, landed in the Polish town of Goleniow, the Polish TVN 24 broadcasting network reported.
On board was also the commander of the military unit, General Andrzej Malinowski.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had pledged a swift troop withdrawal from Iraq during his election campaign in fall 2007.
Poland had been in charge of four occupation zones in Iraq following the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime.
At the start of the Iraq military operation, around 2,500 Polish soldiers were deployed in Iraq, however that number dwindled recently to 900.
At least 22 Polish soldiers lost their lives in Iraq, in addition to several Polish civilians, among them a television reporter.
A staunch ally of the US, Warsaw's decision to send troops to Iraq had deeply strained relations with Paris and Berlin in 2003.
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